Comparison of Agile and Waterfall project management methods in terms of development approach, flexibility, customer involvement, risk management, scheduling, documentation and product delivery.Agile: Agile is an iterative and incremental approach to project management and software development. The Agile approach promotes flexibility, continuous improvement, and close collaboration between developers and stakeholders. The most well-known implementation of Agile is Scrum, but there are also other methodologies such as Kanban and Extreme Programming (XP). Agile is based on the idea that requirements and solutions are developed through the collaboration of self-organizing and cross-functional teams. The focus is on delivering small, functional increments of software that are regularly reviewed and adapted. Waterfalls: The Waterfall model is a traditional approach to project management and software development that is sequential and linear. In this model, the development process is divided into clearly defined phases that are completed one after the other. Typical phases are requirements analysis, system design, implementation, testing, implementation, and maintenance. Each phase must be completed before the next one begins. Changes during the development phase are usually difficult and expensive. Main differences:1. Development approach: - Agile: Iterative and incremental. Projects are developed in small, manageable parts (sprints) and reviewed regularly. Adjustments are made continuously based on feedback. - Waterfall: Sequential and linear. The entire project flow is divided into fixed phases that are completed in a specific order. Each phase is fully completed before the next one begins. 2. Flexibility and adaptation: - Agile: Very flexible. Changes can be made at any point in the project based on customer feedback and changing requirements. This allows for quick adaptation to new requirements or market developments. - Waterfall: Less flexible. Changes are difficult and expensive to implement because the project is already well underway when new requirements arise. The model assumes that all requirements are fully known at the start of the project. 3. Customer participation: - Agile: Customers are regularly involved in the development process. There are regular reviews and feedback loops that ensure that the development meets the customer's needs. - Waterfall: Customer involvement is often limited to the requirements phase. Feedback is considered later in the development cycle, which can lead to a higher risk that the final product does not fully meet expectations. 4. Risk management: - Agile: Risks are continuously identified and managed through regular reviews and adjustments. Since work is carried out in short iterations, problems can be identified and resolved early. - Waterfall: Risks are often identified late in the project because phases are completed sequentially. Problems that arise in later phases can be expensive and time-consuming to fix. 5. Scheduling and budgeting: - Agile: The schedule and budget can be flexibly adjusted to reflect changing requirements. However, this can also lead to uncertainty as the exact scope and costs only become clearer over time. - Waterfall: Schedule and budget are set at the beginning of the project and are usually difficult to change. The linear approach makes planning and budgeting easier, but carries the risk of making adjustments more expensive if requirements change later. 6. Documentation: - Agile: Prefers reduced and functional documentation that supports the development process. The focus is on working software solutions and direct communication. - Waterfall: Requires extensive documentation to ensure all requirements and specifications are clearly defined before development begins. This can result in extensive and formal documents. 7. Product delivery: - Agile: Delivers frequent functional increments of the product that can be continuously delivered to the customer. These increments often provide immediate value and allow for early feedback. - Waterfall: Delivers the final product at the end of the project after all phases are completed. There are no functional parts of the product that are delivered to the customer before all phases are completed. Summary:- **Agile** offers flexibility and adaptability through iterative and incremental development, regular customer feedback and continuous adjustments. - **Waterfall** follows a fixed, linear approach where all requirements are defined at the beginning and changes are difficult and expensive. FAQ 84: Updated on: 27 July 2024 16:19 |
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